Jun 24 Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories First Look

Harvest Moon is back and this time it is heading to several platforms for the first time: Wii U, PC, iOS, and Android. This is the second title to be produced away from Marvelous Entertainment. Natsume will be Developing the iOS and Android versions separately from the Wii U and PC. The titles will be released as they are finished… which should be in Winter of this year.

Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories will be a full version of the game. Speaking to Graham Markay, at Natsume, They briefly looked into the idea of making the iOS and Android versions Free to Play but quickly decided that they wanted to do a premium game. They aren’t quite sure on what the pricing will be for these versions. But there won’t be any ads in the game or any paywalls at all!

The build shown at Natsume’s booth was for the iOS version that just began development about a month ago. Seeds of Memories is going for a 2D look reminiscent of older Harvest Moon titles. This may be the choice so it is easier to implement and support on a variety of devices for iOS and Android. Though the build shown was missing elements that will be in the final game, we were told that the town will be busy with lots of people to talk to, new Festivals, animals, mining, and sidequests. Terraforming, seen in last year’s 3DS version, is gone though.

Players will be able to play as a male or female protagonist and meet up with five bachelors or bachelorettes depending on the gener they select. Right now, The Lost Valley, the 3DS title from last year, has new DLC that will introduce the players to some of the new characters and elements from Harvest Moon Seeds of Memories. The two games won’t be able to interact but I wasn’t really expecting this.

The iOS version shown at E3 of Harvest Moon Seeds of Memories was controlled exclusively with touch controls. The Wii U version, and the PC, will have traditional controls. So don’t worry about the game being developed with only tablets and phones in mind. I found the touch screen controls to be adequate but not my preferred method of controlling the game. I probably will prefer to try this on the PC and Wii U, while my six year old will probably enjoy it on the iPad best.

Right now, Harvest Moon Seeds of Memories is being planned for a digital release across all platforms. On the PC, they are looking at Steam only right now. Will there be a physical release for the Wii U? While nothing was confirmed, there is talk that this could be a possibility. I know I would prefer a physical release of the game--especially with the way Nintendo’s digital titles are handled.

I would have liked to experience a little more with Harvest Moon Seeds of Memories but the game was just missing most elements from what is promised in the final build. There were no buildings to enter and I could only speak to a handful of NPC characters. While the visuals won’t blow anyone away, they were on the iPad and looked fine. The game’s 2D look should bring some nostalgia to the series of games from the past.

Harvest Moon Seeds of Memories will release, when it is completed, later this year. Natsume is shooting for a Winter 2015 release. We look forward to seeing more from this title.

Screenshots for Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories First Look

Kaleb is the Editor & Publisher of CVGames and the host of the Parents Press Play Podcast. As a husband and homeschooling father to four boys, Kaleb provides a unique perspective on the gaming industry alongside other areas of entertainment and technology that have been enhanced by his 20+ years of covering these fields.

When not podcasting at Parents Press Play or covering the industry at CVGames, Kaleb loves to bowl, cook, spend time with his family, and cheer on the San Francisco 49ers and Texas Rangers. However, the truth is that he can never get enough time sharing his love of video games and other areas of entertainment and technology that he covers through his website and podcast!

Kaleb is the Editor & Publisher of CVGames and the host of the Parents Press Play Podcast. As a husband and homeschooling father to four boys, Kaleb provides a unique perspective on the gaming industry alongside other areas of entertainment and technology that have been enhanced by his 20+ years of covering these fields.

When not podcasting at Parents Press Play or covering the industry at CVGames, Kaleb loves to bowl, cook, spend time with his family, and cheer on the San Francisco 49ers and Texas Rangers. However, the truth is that he can never get enough time sharing his love of video games and other areas of entertainment and technology that he covers through his website and podcast!